Wait so are you guys saying that the Blue cover is only available through Best Buy? I just preordered my SP3 + the blue cover (NOT cyan) on Microsoft Store (Canada). Is it only for Canada? Whoa I'm surprised

I will definitely be picking up the Blue Type Cover from Best Buy, I don't know if I will actually by the SP3 from there though. Might get it straight from MS in case BB installed any of their garbage-ware on it. Can BB do that on a Surface?

I'll stick with the Microsoft Store for the student discount. I'll get the 128gb + i5 & a cover for about $1000. I wish there was a 128gb + i5 with 8gb of ram, but 4 should be fine for light gaming, office, and basic photoshops.

I just made a purchase from TigerDirect which was a Core I-5 with 128GB SSD and EIGHT GB RAM for $999. I haven't heard abou this configuration before since the Core I-5 with 128GB was always a 4GB configuration. I double checked and they say they have it. In fact, they show the normal price as $1099 but are marking it down to $999.

This is a great deal which basically adds 4GB of memory for the same price as the model sold at other locations.

You're right they do have that price but it has to be a mistake as they also have the i3 config with 8gb ram. My guess is a typo or clever/shady marketing to drum up orders. Perhaps they'll honor your order and give you the next step-up model for $999, but my guess is this is a mistake.

Yes, the student discount worked. So did the graduation promo code. I was able to pre-order an SP3, i5, 128GB/4GB model for $800 after the discounts. The i3 would have been a hair over $600, and the top i7 model would have been $1700.

Getting these discounts is not rocket science. People who complain about how overpriced the SP3 is are simply not figuring out how to get the discount. And if someone can't figure out how to get the discount, they're probably better suited for a Mac anyway. ;)

Doesn't getting a bunch into the wild help as free advertising, though? Throw people a bone, offer a free Type Cover with each Surface.

Initial loss? Yes. But it would help promote excitement around the launch, get people pumped. Also, offering a pre-order exclusive will help to sway those who are on the fence.

Then, once a bunch of people have them, there will be lots out in the wild, with lots of people recommending and vouching the Surface line. This will win over people who like to follow the latest trends.

So yes, I understand that Microsoft wants to be like Apple and not do many promotions, but still: A pre-order promotion could help them in the long run.

How do you think the SP3 is overpriced when you consider it's size, quality and features? Paul Thurrott just wrote on this and showed how they're cheaper (even with KB) than any Mac on the market.

It's a premium device. By definition, those are high quality and the top of the line ergo they fetch a higher price. If you can't afford the high end premium experience, that's totally okay, but it doesn't mean they're overpriced, it just means you're over budget ;)

Well, I'm not comparing it to a Mac, obviously. Because compared to a Mac, yeah it's cheap. But that's because Apple products are all, without exception, overpriced.
As for the Surface itself, for the 1989€ they ask for the i7/512 (US$2717) (without cover) you can get a monstruously powerful PC or a top of the line ultrabook and still have money for a good tablet for entertainment consumption.

I get what Microsoft is trying to do here, but people who want to do really heavy work will not buy a Surface Pro 3. They'll buy a PC. Or a really good laptop. If they want people to replace their laptops with a Surface Pro 3 they have to offer the same things a laptop offers. And the Surface Pro 3 doesn't. For all the pen gimmicks, it will still require a keyboard that has to be bought separately and will still require a media reader to run CDs/DVDs/Blu-Rays (where the more often than not the powereful programms that someone who wants a powerful laptop needs). And I'm assuming you'll not need the docking station.

As for the build quality...well, given my personal experience with Surfaces, the build quality is the last thing that deserves the high prices. But that's me, who thinks that premium devices should have premium quality.

Luckily, I have no problem paying those prices...except the Surfaces, to me, aren't worth them (and the Mac's are even less, btw.). And I don't like to throw money out the windows =P

But to each their own. Let's see if the market thinks that it's not overpriced and buys them or not.Judging by the sales of the previous Pro units... ;)

You may not compare it to a mac book pro / air, but that is one of the target markets for it. Just because YOU feel that way doesnt mean thats still not what its targeted for. hey I dont think cars with luxury features should be considered performance / sports cars, except they are.

What is "heavy work" to you. I work in IT, the "heavy work" users to me are people that render 3d cad and need 32 gb of ram with ssd / 15k RPM drives that need 2-4 hours to render a 3d building model. Outside of those guys, vast majority of every other user i've seen can do most of their work just fine on a surface (if they can afford it) and get more VALUE out of it if they use it to its potential.

What makes something a premium build quality to you? you're a huge nokia fan, do you think the msft is offering lower build quality to nokia products?

Please tell me who the other competitors are in the joined tablet / pc space and how msft is doing relative to them. Thats the real "market" for this, and if you understood that, then i think they're doing just fine b/c not even apple or android are in that market yet. I guess that Porsches are not selling well b/c not every driver in world is buying them too.

Well, I do heavy work on the go all the time and I do not carry a laptop with me. The only reason I am not buying the SP 3 is that I switched to the SP2 6 month ago, replacing my desktop and my laptop. As for the pricing... As I said, I replaced two devices with one and pay less to upgrade theo one than I would pay for upgrading the two I replaced. The SP3 is a great device for professionals.

Pen gimmicks... Y'know, for all the Photoshop work I do, the pen is not a gimmick.

It doesn't seem like you've actually owned a Surface Pro, so you don't really know what you're talking about. Reading about it, and playing with one in-store doesn't really count. Try using one for a period of time, and then you may come to understand. The SP2 has already replaced my laptop, which the laptop pretty much replaced the desktop. Even I didn't think that was going to happen, but here I am having operated my laptop a handful of times in the last six months.

I see everywhere that i5 with 128Gig is offered only with 4MB Ram. Is 8MB available for i5 with 128Gig? I have an email for pre-order form TigerDirect for pre-order showing that config for $999.00- It says $100 off.

How do you feel the SP3 is overpriced? An i5 128GB 4GB SP3 with a Type cover is 1129.99. An i5 128GB 4GB MacBook Pro is 1299.99. The resolution on the MBP is slightly higher and the screen in 1 inch bigger, but the SP3 has a touchscreen/Stylus and can be used as a tablet.

Who said macbook isn't overpriced ? :-P Anyway, i know, thinner+faster+stronger --> expensive.. Its expensive for people who don't have that much spare money.. It costs as much as a high end laptop, and thus is advertised as a laptop killer. But the price would put off many people as it is meant only for the premium customers,

I just think the term 'overpriced' is a bit loaded. The reason I say that is because MBA and MBPs actually sell very well, which means that the market is saying they're not overpriced, but in fact are priced to sell. Now I get the whole "I personally think they're not worth that money, etc." argument, but from a market standpoint, Macs aren't overpriced.

Regarding the Surface, I'm not convinced it's necessarily the price that's the issue, but rather the image of Microsoft (and this device). Remember, Microsoft is purposefully not pricing these to compete with their OEMs, but rather to create a new, high end market for their own, unique product.

If you want a cheap laptop or PC, you have tons of options already there. Not sure what Microsoft would gain from entering that space.

+1 I didn't realize it was Daniel writing this until I clicked reply, but yah, spot on. I'm not a merchandiser and I'm not formally educated in marketing but I am an AdWords consultant and I've learned quite a bit from my gf's college merchandising books/etc and I just agree with this analysis.

I take myself as an example, because personally, I don't feel there is too much of a premium on apple laptops. The build quality and fit and finish have to count for something. Similarly, in my ppc campaigns for my clients I tell them there is inherent value in the structural approach which is part of what I charge for every month. Quality matters. It keeps you around longer and coming back more often.

Well, but here we enter the Apple VS Microsoft brand value with consumers. Apple has proven time and time again that their consumers are blindly loyal to the brand, doesn't matter how good or bad their products are. I personally know two types of Apple consumers: 1 - the fanboys who are completely sunk (and trapped) into Apple's ecosystem and will buy every single new MacBook or iPhone or iPod they release; 2 - the show-off consumers who buy Apple products because "it's cool". These, normally, don't have a clue about what they're buying.

These are two very powerful kind of consumers. Ones are fanboys, the others are mindless people. These people never really spend time considering if Apple's offerings are worth the money they ask. And Apple has been really smart in keeping them coming.

When I say "overpriced" I'm thinking only in the cost/benefit as a consumer.

Now, as you said, Microsoft lacks that brand-image. Let's be clear, Microsoft has no reputation as an OEM. They're trying to create one. Even if as a premium OEM. Now...it may be me, but I think if you want to captivate consumers to a premium device and you're just starting, you should start by making your prices a bit more realistic in regards to what you're offering. You won't capture many premium consumers if you're expecting them to blindly spend hundreds of euros on a product that they don't know from a brand they only know as "the guys who make Windows and Office" (let's remember that the Xbox has no mention to Microsoft in it).

I don't think Microsoft should sell these cheap, that's not my point. My point is that, as they are sold, they don't justify the price asked. Which is why I said they should, at least, include the keyboards with every SP3.

DJCBS, I agree with most of what you are saying, and so do a lot of people in Europe - hence the low sales of Surfaces here.

As for MS's reputation, I'd guess that most people have a fairly negative view. Poor design and manufacturing quality with the Xbox (RROD), choosing HDDVD and having to abandon it, abandoning Zune, randomly removing features from software for no apparant reason, selling products priced at $1=£1 etc, etc.

I won't call it overpriced. It is a premium product at a premium price. It is a fair deal. MS leaves other price range and product designs to OEM's. But MS has established a high standard others can challenge. We will be benefited as consumers in the end. However, I do wish that MS would add a LTE verson for SP3.